Exposed Vocals interview with David Conrad of Submissive Soul

I am the lead singer for the band “Submissive Soul”, and for “Crimson Running”. Both are found on Facebook and Reverbnation. I have sent songs from both: The first 2 are from “Crimson Running”, the rest from “Submissive Soul”. I don’t have many “clear”, “high quality” recent photos of myself aside from these and those I’ve posted elsewhere online.

I’ve always enjoyed writing, especially since high school. I had always been told I was pretty good at it. Whether that was just friends and loved ones being kind and wanting to nurture a creative spirit or effort, or not; I kept writing after high school. I kept a book of my writings. At some point soon thereafter, the writing began to take the form of song lyrics and I began to express my happiness, anger, etc. through these lyrics. I always had a base tune in my head, though I never picked up an instrument and learned it to express those ideas; just the lyrics. In my twenties I moved out to Virginia on my own. A few months after making the move, I moved into a room in the house of a friend of my fathers. Her son was the drummer in a band. After sitting in and listening to their practices, I eventually and unwittingly displaced their lead singer.

This was my very first time “fronting” a band or singing outside of a choir. While everyone seemed elated with my singing and writing, I was quite a drunk at the time. I think I felt I needed the liquid courage. It became a necessary ingredient for my practices with the band. Subsequently; any parties we were going to play, I never was conscious for. At some point the band moved on without me and I kept writing, hoping for another opportunity to rectify the wrongs of my last venture. The years flew by and I kept jotting down lyrics and ideas as they came to me, but another opportunity seemed as though it would never come. Maybe I had squandered all the opportunities I’d ever get. In my late thirties, I’d finally sobered up. I straightened out my life and began to get it back in some order. It was now that I decided to go back to school and get my degree.

While I started out pursuing a vocal performance degree, I left with a marketing degree from Southeastern University and a new perspective on my artistic approach. After seven years of failed attempts to find some avenue to break back into music there; and a failing economy in Florida, I moved to north Mississippi, where my brother lived and I could regain a foothold on my finances. It was here that I finally found the people, the network, and the connections I’d need to pursue my lasting and consuming passion of writing and creating new music. In 2012, “Submissive Soul” was formed. within one year we had written and recorded our first EP, and eventually released our first album online; “Life Sentence”

In August of 2014, the band broke up and it seemed as though the dream had died as quickly as it had ignited. I carried on in the studio with a new project along with associations I had made over the course of that year and a half. That was the beginning of “Crimson Running” and my fledgling attempt at writing music and playing,(as best I could), a guitar to get my ideas out. After putting down tracks for an albums worth of new music, “Submissive Soul” got back together. We have been slowly trying to get back into a routine. We have again, written enough new music together to create our second album, though we’ve not done any studio work with it yet. I am currently still involved in both projects and intend to release an album with “Crimson” sometime toward the end of this year, as well as a hard copy release, (possibly remixed) of “Submissive Soul’s” “Life Sentence”. Though I may be a “late bloomer” to the business, my passion has kept me this long, and it will carry me to the finish.

Exposed vocals: How did you hear about Exposed Vocals? What made you decide to sign up?

Submissive Soul: In an attempt to build up my twitter account, and bolster my social media exposure elsewhere; and in looking for people and organizations to network with, I found you and liked what I saw.

Exposed: How did you come up with that name? What was the inspiration behind it?

Submissive: We were initially called ” Broken” At some point early on, I realized that our name had proven to be quite un original. I put it to the guys that we should come up with another name; along the same lines. Our drummer; Scott Hurula came up with “Submissive Soul” and it stuck. As for the inspiration; It speaks of our collective faith in God.

Exposed: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?

Submissive: I’m personally not a big fan of it. I always paid for the music I collected. To give one’s creative work away should be left to the artist alone. I consider it stealing, plain and simple. I understand that we all used to make tapes for each other back in the day, but today’s “sharing” is on a massively larger scale; obviously, and is no longer a “harmless” favor for a few friends. I would make a gift of our music to those I thought would enjoy it, but at that moment, cannot get it, or might not otherwise buy it….It’s a judgement call. One that only the artist should make.

Exposed: Since everyone was a startup once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?

Submissive: We’re still figuring out our path. I’m still finding mine; a little at a time. At this point I think networking is the most critical, cheapest and most practical way to get your music out there. Collaborations when they make sense, joint gigs with other area bands. Critical still; work to maintain the passion that started you down this path, because it’s the only real thing that will sustain you. Everything else is fleeting.

Exposed: Do you ever make mistakes during performances? How do you handle that?

Submissive: I have forgotten lyrics, missed cues. We have had our music pretty thoroughly rehearsed before we started gigging. So, we are pretty well in tune with one another’s tendencies during a song. If anyone gets out of sync, the rest loop or adjust in order to allow the one to jump back in. Missing lyrics though….I just smile keep moving. Not much you can do about that.

Exposed: Do you tour? Anything interesting happen on tour that you think our readers would enjoy?

Submissive: We have yet to tour. We all still hold down fulltime jobs. We do aspire to sometime soon. I do remember one particular show where we filled in for the opening band that didn’t show. We had a great set, great crowd response. The main act got on stage and……well, they were pretty bad. People were walking over to the other side of the bar, racking up game of pool and pretty much ignoring these guys. We sat right there and cheered them on until they stepped off the stage. They weren’t great but they had their moments and we felt we owed them the support as fellow performers……………………….and because they gave us our second ever gig at the oldest active live music venue in Memphis.

Exposed: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?

Submissive: I draw my inspiration from personal experience, current events, etc. I don’t know if I have a ‘process’ anymore. I used to hear a riff or stansa in my head and then lyrics came afterward. I’ve always been a lyricist. I never knew how to express the music in my head as I never played any instrument. Now, though, I fiddle around on guitar and keyboards and convey my ideas to more accomplished musicians who can properly fit and phrase my musical ideas into order. I will now sometimes have lyrics first. But now I have music with no lyrics on occassion. This is still quite a new experience for me and I’m putting most of these together in my side project; “Crimson Running”

Exposed: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?

Submissive: We do not presently have a website. We use Facebook, Reverbnation, iloveindiemusic.com, and number1music.com. I personally use Twitter to promote the music for Submissive Soul and Crimson Running.

Exposed: What are some really embarrassing songs we might find on your mp3 player?

Submissive: I really never utilized mp3 players a lot. I’ve never downloaded music onto an mp3 player aside from my phone. The only things on there I may not want you to hear are incomplete tracks of songs we’ve done a rough cut of. Most of the time, I’m not happy with the first or second rough vocal track.

Exposed: If you were given a half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?

Submissive: I would desperately try to find some gigs to do. Patch together a tour that would be both selective enough to get exposure to larger markets while being close enough together to allow for necessay rehearsals and breaks in between. I would clear up some debt. maybe invest a little, and promote, promote, promote.

Exposed: Any planned studio upgrades? What are you working with now?

Submissive: We go to a guy we found early on. He plays bass for a local well-known cover band. His passion though is to have his own studio. He has one in his house now, but he’s looking for a professional, fulltime set up. Right now I record everything with him. He primarily uses pro tools. I do have one other guy I go to every once in a long while; he uses a mixture of protools and tape. There is definately a richer sound with the second guy because of the tape. Iam not saavy enough to know how to do any engineering or producing of music. I leave that to those who work at it like an art.

Exposed: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?

Submissive: Being the preverbial ‘starving’ artist is definately a factor in what we use, (can afford). Right now networking is our primary source of promotion along with social media and any freebies anywhere we can get it. Internet radio play has gotten notice, but paying for a low end promotional package has been our recent and most indulgent move so far.

Exposed: If you could perform anywhere and with any artists (dead or alive) where and who would it be with? why?

Submissive: There are a lot of excellent venues here in Memphis, and in Nashville. I have always been a huge fan of Robert Plant, Chris Cornell, and Paul Rodgers. Many a night I would belt out, as best I could, every song on every album I had of these guys. So much great music.

Exposed: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?

Submissive: We are seriously considering remixing our first album; “Life Sentence” and re releasing it. It’s available online only now at iloveindiemusic.com. We are working on our second album now. And I am working on my first album with “Crimson Running” wich I hope to have released by the end of this year or sooner. I’m also always on the look out for projects I can offer collaboration on.

Exposed: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?

Submissive: I’m pretty much doing it now….I’m a carpenter running my own remodeling business. I think though, that I’d find some unique niche to exploit and have fun with and make a great living at it.

Exposed: Do you remember buying you first album? Who was it? What was going through your head?

Submissive: I remember it clearly. I am no saint now, but I definately wasn’t as a youth….lol. I Walked into a large department store and boosted a tape of Journey “Frontiers” I got caught, so you can imagine what was going through my head….lol

Exposed: How do you juggle the resy of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?

Submissive: It’s not real easy for any of us. We all have FT jobs, and some of us have families to support. My business is doing quite well now, so I’ll use some of my money to help promote and get exposure for the band; the music. I am single with no kids so I have less to deal with thaan my drummer and bass player. My guitarist is single with his own fledgling business too….Our plates are pretty full. It’s a balancing act and it comes down to prioritizing things properly in your life individually while availing yourself to the band and each other enough to make it work.

Exposed: What should we look forward to in 2016?

Submissive: Submissive Soul will likely remix and re release album one. Album two might be ready this year. The first album from Crimson Running will be out this year. I am hoping to put together money enough to produce and release for sale, hardcopies of all three. This year is going to be productive, innovative, collaborative and a blast. Tune in on one of our pages and enjoy.

Randy M

Since 2008, I've been dedicated to supporting unsigned artists through ExposedVocals.com, evolving from platform creation to in-depth music reviews and artist discovery. I showcase talent, amplify voices, and share industry insights from legends to empower the next generation of musicians.